New Ben-Hur trailer 'a crime against God'

A Ben-Hur reboot has been slammed by viewers after the first trailer was released today.

The film, directed by Timur Bekmambetov, is due for release in April and features Morgan Freeman and Jack Huston.

It is based on the 1959 movie of the same name, starring Charlton Heston, and is based around the character of Ben Hur, who endures years of slavery after being falsely accused of the assassination of his best friend.

But a new trailer for the big budget blockbuster has been slammed by viewers for turning the 1959 into what one critic called "a Michael Bay-style blockbuster".

On Gizmodo, a reviewer said it "turned a historical and religious epic into a dumb, loud, shitty summer blockbuster".

Another viewer called it a "crime against God".

Twitter users were especially harsh.

Ben Hur

is due for release on August 12.

- nzherald.co.nz